


These Games We Play

by tuberc-leo-fics (lourthor)



Category: VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, Duel Monsters, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Kissing, M/M, No one can convince me otherwise, Yoongi and Hongbin were huge nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 08:42:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7427926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lourthor/pseuds/tuberc-leo-fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hongbin and Yoongi saw each other for the first time in 8 years at a broadcasting station, they had to look away and pretend not to know each other. After all, who would want to reveal their dark past as duelists in Duel Monster tournaments? </p><p>Surprisingly not a crack!fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Games We Play

Yoongi and Hongbin met eyes for the first time in eight years backstage at Show Champion when BTS decided they were going to perform a rap for Vixx. It took a few seconds of staring before they realized who the other was; they had both changed some looks-wise, and it had been eight years, but they would recognize the other’s face anywhere. As soon as Hongbin saw Yoongi’s eyes widen and figured out that he recognized him, he turned his head to look at anyone but him. Everyone in BTS was excitable, happy to perform something for their seniors, so Hongbin easily found other people to smile at, anything to not look at Yoongi.

 

The thing was, they were good friends for several years. They didn’t fight, or have a falling out, they just lost contact after their careers as duelists in Duel Monsters tournaments ended, and no one wants to bring up that dark past again.

 

\--

 

“Hey, Yoongi! Yoongi!” Hongbin shouted, waving his hands and trying to catch Yoongi’s eyes through the crowded room. It took a minute of shouting and jumping up and down for Yoongi to see him, but he smiled indulgently and walked over, giving Hongbin a hug.

 

“Guess who just got some new Monarchs to add to his deck?” Hongbin asked, smiling widely.

 

Yoongi pretended to think, tapping a knuckle on his chin and humming. “I don’t know, is it Kiseok?”

 

Hongbin barked out a laugh and slapped him on the upper arm.

 

“As if. Everyone knows that Kiseok attempts to use a Ritual Monsters deck. Why he doesn’t just give up, I don’t know. He sucks at it. Maybe that’s the reason he’s only ranked 12th in Korea?”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Someday, Kiseok is going to beat you and you’re going to drop in rank and then realize he’s actually an okay duelist.”

 

Hongbin just scoffed, not believing that Kiseok could ever beat him. “His higher powered monsters are no match for my monarchs. And now that I reorganized my deck to make room for my new cards, he has an even lower chance on beating me.”

 

“What did you add?” Yoongi asked, curious. He was only really close to Hongbin, though all the duelists in Korea knew each other to some extent. Whenever they saw each other at tournaments, they would hang out and eat together during their downtime. But ultimately, Yoongi lived in Daegu, and Hongbin in Seoul, so they didn’t meet up as much as friends should.

 

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Hongbin said, not giving any advantage away.

 

“Well, I added some new cards too, so you’ll just have to wait until we duel to find out which ones. And when I beat you, you better not sulk for two months like you did last time,” Yoongi responded.

 

It was true. Most of the times they dueled, Yoongi won with his Burn deck, cutting through Hongbin’s life points effectively. But the last time they dueled, Hongbin had added several cards to his deck in an attempt to counter Yoongi’s constant drain of life points. In the end, Yoongi still won, making Hongbin go through an existential crisis about whether he was actually a good duelist or not. It lasted two months and effected his standing in Korea negatively when he failed to get in the top 10 for two tournaments in a row.

 

“You know, we might not even face each other,” Hongbin pointed out. They were on opposite sides of the tournament bracket, so they would either not meet at all, meet for the 3rd/4th place match, or the championship.

 

Yoongi just rolled his eyes and waved off Hongbin’s statement. “Yeah right. Have some faith in my abilities. I’m going to get a medal in this tournament, especially since Changwoon is off competing in Japan and Dongwon is taking entrance exams. We both have a good chance at coming first.”

 

“Why, Min Yoongi,” Hongbin gasped, “was that actually a compliment? For my dueling abilities?”

 

Yoongi blushed slightly and shook his head. “No, just, have a little more faith, Hongbin. We’re friends, we need to stick together.”

 

They both cringed at his words and avoided looking at each other. When the announcement came over the intercom, asking duelists to find their seats for the first round, they exchanged glances and nodded at each other in silent support.

 

The two of them did end up facing each other for the 3rd place. To no one’s surprise, Yoongi took the bronze medal and Hongbin came in 4th.

 

\--

 

With BTS’s debut with No More Dream, and Vixx’s comeback with Hyde, the two groups saw each other occasionally as they walked down the hallways of the broadcasting station. Hongbin found himself watching the TV in the waiting room whenever he heard the opening notes of No More Dream, trying to catch a glimpse of his once friend.

 

Yoongi was the same. He never paid much attention to Vixx before debut, having no need to; he wasn’t into idol groups and wasn’t into pop music. But since discovering that his childhood friend was in the group, he watched their performances while waiting.

 

“You’re paying close attention to them now, Yoongi,” Seokjin noted one day, watching Yoongi out of the corner of his eye as he watched Hyde. “You know, Ravi is your age. I know your rap styles are different, but you two could become friends. Maybe get yourself out of the studio for a while and actually socialize like a normal person.”

 

Yoongi frowned. “Since when are you paying attention enough to actually know their ages?”

 

Seokjin just rolled his eyes. “Wow, such disrespect for your hyung. Jaehwan, er, Ken is my age. He approached me the other day and said hi. We’ve been talking.”

 

“I don’t need you to help me make friends. And I’m not interested. I’m just bored of doing nothing while waiting for us to go on. Who knew that idols did more waiting than performing in their life time?”

 

Seokjin just nodded with a smile, humoring him. “Okay, fine. I’ll leave you alone to your boring life.”

 

Yoongi turned back to the TV, noting that Vixx was no longer performing, and just put his earbuds in, turning on some rap to calm him down.

 

Ten minutes later, he went to the bathroom, announcing it quietly to his manager when asked where he was going. He kept his earbuds in as he walked, bowing politely to the people he passed on the way.

 

When he zipped up and was washing his hands, he looked in the mirror and saw familiar eyes, lined with black, staring back at him.

 

“Long time no see,” Hongbin said quietly as he, too, washed his hands.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi replied, “long time no see.”

 

They stood awkwardly at the sinks, staring at each other through the mirror as they washed their hands for a lot longer than necessary.

 

“Are you going to keep ignoring me?” Hongbin asked him, a strange tone to his voice as he finally turned off the sink and turned to look at Yoongi. “I was waiting for you to approach me sometime while our promotions overlapped, but you didn’t. I had to come find you instead.”

 

“You got more handsome,” Yoongi finally said, causing Hongbin to scrunch his nose in distaste, looking how he did when he was younger and found something unbearable.

 

“I know. So did you,” Hongbin replied. “All idols are handsome, even if they aren’t. It’s the makeup and the hair.”

 

“That’s not a compliment, is it?” Yoongi asked, frowning at the words. Apparently Hongbin was just as sarcastic now as he was when they were younger too.

 

Hongbin just shrugged. “It’s whatever you want it to mean. Besides, it’s true. You are more handsome now than you were, especially with the permed hair. It’s better than the fauxhawk you used to attempt to do with way more hair gel than necessary.”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Look who’s talking. You always did the exact same thing. And your hair is permed now too.”

 

The two just stared at each other, unsure how to continue. The bickering that used to define their friendship 8 years ago was still present, but there was an extra layer of awkwardness from too much time spent apart. When they finally broke the stare, Yoongi just left the bathroom without glancing back. As he walked down the hallway, he could hear the slight clack of Hongbin’s footsteps following him. It was a relief when he heard them stop and a door open and close. Only then could he breathe properly again.

 

\--

 

They met when they were both 10 at a tournament. It was Yoongi’s third tournament, and first away from Daegu. His mom drove him to Seoul at 5 in the morning, and when they walked to the building the tournament was being held at, they saw a small boy, around Yoongi’s age, standing outside, staring at the doors with trepidation.

 

“Are you okay?” Yoongi’s mom asked the boy. He turned around to look at her and smiled a bright smile, dimples set deep in his cheeks.

 

“Hello, ma’am. I’m fine just… waiting. To enter,” he responded as he turned back to look at the doors.

 

“Where is your mom?” she asked, looking up and down the street as if the woman would pop up at any moment and claim her son. The boy just waved her off.

 

“I’m here by myself. I just took the subway from my house.” He turned to Yoongi and gave him a smile too. “Are you competing in the tournament?” he asked. Yoongi blinked.

 

“Yeah. It’s my third one, but my first in Seoul. Do you compete a lot?” he asked. The boy shook his head.

 

“Nah, this is my first tournament. I’m so excited though. I stayed up all night preparing my deck. I’m Hongbin, what’s your name?”

 

“I’m Yoongi,” he responded, then gestured to his mom. “This is my mom.”

 

“It’s very nice to meet you Hongbin. Do you want to come in with us?” she asked, gesturing to the doors.

 

“Yeah, do you mind?” Hongbin asked. “I kind of need an adult to sign me in, but my parents are working so I’ve been waiting to find someone who looked nice. Could you please help me?” He gave her another smile, showcasing his dimples.

 

“Of course, Hongbin. Come with us. I’ll sign you two up.”

 

Hongbin followed them into the building, chatting lightly with Yoongi while they walked.

 

“So, how old are you?” Yoongi asked Hongbin, turning his head to talk to him.

 

“I’m 10, born in 1993,” Hongbin said, noticing Yoongi’s eyes widen when he responded. “I’m guessing you are as well?” he asked. Yoongi nodded.

 

“How lucky,” Yoongi’s mom said, listening to their conversation. “Hopefully you two can be good friends.”

 

“Sorry, ma’am, but I’m planning on being his rival,” Hongbin retorted, giving her a thumbs up before turning to Yoongi. “What kind of deck to you duel with?”

 

“A Burn deck,” Yoongi said, then frowned when he noticed Hongbin roll his eyes. “What? I can’t have a burn deck?”

 

“It fits you,” Hongbin said. “You know, you can tell a lot about a person based on their deck. Have you always used a Burn deck, or did you switch now that they’re getting popular?”

 

Yoongi huffed and rolled his eyes at the other boy. “I’ve always had this deck. Let me guess, you’re a Big City deck.”

 

Hongbin shook his head. “Just because I live in Seoul? Also, does it look like I like heroes?” he asked, sounding disappointed. “Come on, you can do better than that.”

 

Yoongi thought for another minute, running through lists of cards in his head, trying to connect them with the boy he just started to know.

 

“You have a Monarch deck,” Yoongi said, confident with his answer.

 

“What gave it away?” Hongbin asked with a grin. “My stunning good looks?”

 

Yoongi shook his head. “Your narcissism.”

 

“Boys,” Yoongi’s mom said, warning them in case they started fighting. But Hongbin just grinned at her.

 

“It’s okay, Mrs. Min,” he said, “I think we’ll get along great.”

 

\--

 

Hongbin and Yoongi would occasionally see each other at an event, but other than a quick glance, they didn’t interact in any way. It took a full year and both Hongbin and Yoongi getting phones before they talked to each other again after their meeting in the bathroom.

 

They ran into each other onstage during the ending of one of the year-end award shows. It was a mess of people, idols constantly bowing to each other and waving to their fans, trying to stay with their members, but somehow being separated anyway. During the confusion, somehow Hongbin and Yoongi found themselves standing next to each other.

 

“Error’s a good song,” Yoongi said to him, staring straight into the crowd, avoiding Hongbin’s eyes.

 

“So is War of Hormone, but I think we’re better than small talk, aren’t we?” Hongbin asked, not looking at Yoongi either.

 

“Wow, I didn’t know that you could get meaner with age,” Yoongi responded. “You were a pretty awful kid.”

 

“So were you.” They turned and grinned at each other.

 

“Look, Hongbin,” Yoongi said, “Can we exchange numbers? It’s kind of silly that somehow both of us went from being… what we were and ending up here, and yet we don’t talk. We used to be pretty good friends.”

 

“Can’t even say how we know each other in public, can you?” Hongbin asked. “It’s too…”

 

“Embarrassing,” they both said at the same time.

 

“Does Vixx even know what you used to do?” Yoongi asked, tilting his head slightly to ask. “You’ve cultivated this pretty boy image to the masses, but they really don’t know you, do they?”

 

“I bet you haven’t said it either,” Hongbin replied. “You’ve created a mysterious, smart, hardworking rapper image that has no space for being a major geek. No one would believe me even if I showed them pictures of you with your deck.”

 

“If those pictures somehow make their way to the fans, I will murder you,” Yoongi said, still giving a small smile. “And I will take you down with me.”

 

They both spotted Wonshik and Hakyeon walking up to where they were standing at the same time and quickly took a step apart.

 

“Meet me in the bathroom once you’re done, okay?” Yoongi asked, already backing away. “Let’s exchange phone numbers.”

 

Hongbin gave a quick nod, showing that he understood, before walking to meet his members. Yoongi looked around, trying to spot his members in the crowd, but could barely see the top of Namjoon’s head. What looked like Seokjin’s head was also close by, so Yoongi weaved himself through the masses to join them.

 

Twenty-five minutes later, Yoongi finally made it to the bathroom. There were a couple other idols in there, some still in their stage outfits, and they quickly exchanged nods in greeting. Yoongi went to a urinal to relieve himself, and while he was washing his hands, the bathroom emptied.

 

It took several more minutes before Hongbin entered, already out of his stage outfit and half his makeup taken off.

 

“You sure took your time,” Yoongi said to him from where he was leaning against the wall, fiddling with his phone.

 

“Yeah, well Hakyeon-hyung was bothering me about some stuff and I had to tell him that I was about to shit my pants so he would let me go.”

 

“Let’s hurry up then. My members probably think I have diarrhea or something. I’ve been in here for like 5 minutes,” Yoongi said, putting out a hand so Hongbin would pass his phone over.

 

“I’m saving you as Yoongioh, just so you know,” Hongbin said once he had his phone back. Yoongi coughed once in distaste, rolling his eyes.

 

“Can I never escape that nickname? The first time you called me that, I almost punched you. If my mom wasn’t there, I would have.”

 

“It was like you were born to play Duel Monsters,” Hongbin said, for what was probably the hundredth time. Whenever Hongbin wanted to annoy Yoongi, or thought he was getting too cocky, he would always bring him back down to earth with that nickname.

 

“If any of your members see that, you’re dead,” Yoongi threatened. “I’m saving you as Narcissistic Monarch. At least there’s no chance of people connecting that name to you.”

 

“So, we’re not telling anyone that we’re friends or that we’re talking? Is that what’s happening?” Hongbin asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Yoongi shrugged.

 

“Honestly, we have very different personalities. There’s no reason for us to be friends and I don’t want to explain that we’ve known each other for a while. We’re not even from the same hometown. It’s too much of a hassle.”

 

Hongbin shrugged back at him. “Fine, Lazy. But this will backfire. Everyone’s eventually gonna find out. I spend way too much time with my members to keep this a secret for long.”

 

“We’ll figure something out when that happens,” Yoongi said. “I should go now, before Seokjin comes looking for me. Text me, okay?”

 

Hongbin nodded and waved him away, going over to the urinal himself to pee before heading back to his members.

 

\--

 

After exchanging numbers, they started texting pretty regularly. Neither of them were the people they used to be, 8 years would change anyone, so finding out about their old friend’s new hobbies was an interesting activity.

 

To Yoongioh: Let’s play basketball together. When are you free?

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Who knows. Also, who told you I play basketball?

 

To Yoongioh: Your fans on the internet. I happen to be pretty good myself. 1 on 1?

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: You know a secluded court? I’ll look at my schedule.

 

To Yoongioh: Yeah, I got one.

 

The only free time the two had together was a week later. Yoongi usually spent his free days in the studio, working on whatever he could and ignoring the outside world. Hongbin usually spent any free time he had playing with his members or practicing singing. Both of them hadn’t played basketball in a long time.

 

“Why is it so cold out?” Yoongi asked. “It’s the middle of the day.” He was dressed in basketball shorts and a long sleeve shirt, shivering while he stood on the court. Hongbin had dressed a little smarter in long pants, but even he looked cold.

 

“It’s February,” Hongbin said, deadpan. He grabbed the basketball from where he dropped it on the ground earlier and started dribbling in place, the ball marking an even sound on the pavement.

 

“What are the rules?” Yoongi asked as he swung his arms across his body, warming them up.

 

“Half court. First one to 30 wins?” Hongbin asked. Yoongi nodded and Hongbin passed him the ball, immediately following it with his body as he tried to steal the ball back. But Yoongi expertly got out of the way and ran up to the basket to do a layup.

 

“Looks like that’s two for me,” Yoongi said, laughing at Hongbin’s narrowed eyes.

 

They played two games together. Yoongi won the first game by a small margin, inciting the competitive spirit in Hongbin, who then won the second game.

 

“I think that’s the first time you’ve ever won against me,” Yoongi said when Hongbin had turned a proud smile toward him after his win. “You always come close, but fall just short.”

 

“Stop. Duel Monsters is different. We’ve never played basketball together before, and right now our score is tied. Besides, who here actually falls short?” Hongbin asked, looking down on Yoongi.

 

“Ugh,” Yoongi groaned. “We used to be the same height too. Who knew that skinny, sarcastic kid would turn into a skinny, sarcastic, tall adult.”

 

“Yeah,” Hongbin said, smiling a little sadly. It was disconcerting to see that look on his face, as Hongbin always put up a happy front, no matter what he was feeling.

 

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asked softly.

 

“Of course,” Hongbin said. “Just, a lot happened back then. I wasn’t very safe as a kid and was constantly doing reckless things. I’m actually surprised I became an adult at all, never mind a, what did you call me? A skinny, sarcastic, tall one.”

 

There were a few moments of silence as they sat on the court, staring at nothing.

 

“My mom was always worried,” Yoongi said suddenly, breaking the silence. “She always wondered what happened to you. If you weren’t at a tournament we were at, she would wonder if you had gotten sick, or in trouble with the cops, or died. She kept an eye on the papers for a few years after I had stopped dueling. She always said she wanted to keep up with the news in Seoul, but I know she was checking to see if you were alright. No news was better than not knowing.”

 

They were quiet for a few more minutes, sweat from the games chilling their skin, but they still sat quietly.

 

“She’d probably be surprised that you’re an idol, actually,” Yoongi said, finally speaking up again. “I should probably tell her.”

 

“If you want,” Hongbin said, shrugging. “I, on the other hand, always knew you’d be a rapper. I was expecting you to pop up any day.”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Really?”

 

“Yeah,” Hongbin nodded. “I kept an eye out for any Yoongi’s in the underground rap community, but you never showed up. I guess you had a stage name.” Yoongi nodded. “I am surprised you became an idol, though.”

 

“You were really keeping an eye out for me?” Yoongi asked, tone skeptical. “Why?”

 

“Because I knew you’d be a rapper.”

 

\--

 

“Yoongi! Mama Min, thank goodness I found you,” said a voice, coming from behind Yoongi. He turned around and found Hongbin running up to them. They had become good friends in the past half a year, seeing each other in Seoul whenever there was a tournament, but it was strange hearing his voice in Daegu.

 

“Hongbin!” Yoongi’s mom said, giving him a smile. “So nice to see you again. You’re competing in the Daegu Cup today?”

 

“Yup! It’s my first tournament outside of Seoul. I’m so excited,” Hongbin replied, grinning brightly at her. He then turned to Yoongi and held out a hand, giving Yoongi a high-five when he did the same.

 

“Did you run ahead of your parents?” Yoongi’s mom asked, staring in the direction Hongbin ran from but not really seeing people old enough to be his parents walking their way.

 

“No, they’re in Seoul. I took the train, and then the bus to get here. Can you sign me in again?” Hongbin asked politely, staring at her with wide eyes. She sighed.

 

“Sure, Hongbin-ah,” she said. “Come on you two, let’s go.”

 

While they walked over to the sign-in table, Yoongi whispered to Hongbin. “Do your parents even know you’re here?” he asked, keeping quiet in case his mom would overhear.

 

“Oh course they don’t,” Hongbin said. “I told them I was going to a friend’s house for a sleepover and that I’d be back in the morning. I’m probably just going to sleep in the train station when I get back to Seoul and then hop on an early morning bus back home. They’ll never find out.”

 

“Are you an idiot?” Yoongi asked, a little louder than he intended. His mom turned back and gave him a look. He lowered his voice. “You’ll be thrown out of the station. And kids get kidnapped all the time, especially when their parents don’t know where they are.”

 

Hongbin just waved a hand. “It’s not going to happen. I’ve done it before. The guards don’t really care, as long as I’m not making trouble.”

 

Yoongi glared at him then jogged a little so that he caught up with his mom. “Hey Mom?” he asked. “Can Hongbin sleep over tonight?”

 

“Sorry, Mama Min,” Hongbin said as he lined up with them. “Yoongi just wants to hang out with me some more. We never see each other outside of tournaments, but I already told him my parents are expecting me at home.”

 

“Nonsense,” Yoongi’s mom said. “Especially if it’s late, I don’t want you taking the train back all by yourself. I’ll call your parents and explain what’s happening later. I’m sure they won’t mind.” She muttered that last sentence to herself.

 

Hongbin elbowed Yoongi in the ribs, causing him to buckle over in pain.

 

“Ow, your elbows are bony,” he said, rubbing at his side.

 

“Why did you tell her that?” Hongbin hissed at him, voice low so his mother couldn’t hear. “Now she’s actually going to call my mom.”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Just tell her you called them during a break from matches and they already agreed. As you said, your parents will never find out.”

 

After the tournament ended, Yoongi’s mom drove them back to their home, leaving them to their own devices while she went to go make dinner.

 

 

“And this is my room,” Yoongi said, gesturing around him. It was kind of small, but Hongbin liked it, immediately going to the bed and flopping down on it, tired after a long day.

 

“Are those all your dueling awards?” Hongbin asked, pointing at a shelf across from the bed. He turned his head to Yoongi, who nodded.

 

“Yeah. Not quite as full as I want yet, but I’m getting there. I want to start getting into top 3 in about 6 months.”

 

“Well,” Hongbin replied, “You can’t leave your rival behind. I’ll have to keep you company at the top. I just need to save up some more money and buy some better trap cards. I want Escalation of the Monarchs and Pot of Duality, but I haven’t found them in any of the packs I’ve bought yet. I need to find a job to buy them off of someone.”

 

“You’re not even 11 yet. Who would hire you?” Yoongi asked.

 

“You’d be surprised how many jobs there are in Seoul for someone who’s 10. You just work for very cheap and they pay you under the table. I’ve done it before,” Hongbin said, waving off Yoongi’s worries. It only made him worry more.

 

“Just be careful, Hongbin. You should be worrying about school and Duel Monsters, not making money.”

 

Hongbin just nodded and stood up from the bed, heading over to the bookcase to stare at Yoongi’s awards. Eventually his eyes made their way to the CDs, focusing on the titles.

 

“What are these?” Hongbin asked, grabbing several of them and waving them around. “They’re all in English.”  
  
“Stop waving them,” Yoongi said, reaching for them and taking them back from Hongbin. “It’s just some American hip hop.”

 

“Let me see again,” Hongbin demanded, holding out his hand. Yoongi handed them back to him, watching as Hongbin squinted at the artists.

 

“I’ve never heard of any of these people. Who is 50cent? And Lil’ Kim? Or… Outkast? Why do they have such strange names?”

 

“Shut up,” Yoongi muttered, grabbing the CDs again and putting them back on the shelf, carefully reorganizing them so that they returned to their original place. “I just really like it. America is doing some great hip hop and rap. It’s really cool.”

 

“Huh,” Hongbin said, staring at Yoongi, his eyes wide. “Can you rap?” he asked, head tilted to the side.

 

“Um, I suck at rapping in English,” Yoongi said as he looked back to his CD shelf, eyes roaming the titles. “But I can rap some in Korean.”

 

“Show me,” Hongbin said.

 

After Yoongi’s rap, Hongbin just clapped, his eyes still wide. “That was so good,” he said. “Who originally sang it?”

 

Yoongi scratched at the back of his head, feeling a little overwhelmed at the appreciation coming from his friend. “Um, I did.”

 

“You should become a professional,” Hongbin said, his tone serious, but Yoongi just waved it off.

 

“Yeah right. No one in Korea is really producing this kind of music right now.”

 

“But they will,” Hongbin insisted, his hands waving around his body. “I mean, it’s growing popular in America, and will eventually become more popular here. Besides, you’re 11 years old, there’s plenty of time. You haven’t even finished elementary school yet!”

 

“Maybe,” Yoongi said, not really believing what Hongbin was saying. “Come on, let’s go eat dinner.”

 

\--

 

“So,” Seokjin said loudly, startling Yoongi out of his thoughts. He turned his head and glared slightly at his hyung, wondering why he was bothering him.

 

“What?” he asked, a little rudely. Seokjin just raised his hands in front of him and smiled.

 

“So,” Seokjin repeated, “Who have you been texting recently?”

 

Yoongi opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Seokjin.

 

“And don’t say nobody, because I went into your studio one time to ask you a question and you weren’t working, just smiling at your phone and texting and completely missed me standing in the doorway for 3 minutes. So I’m going to ask again,” he said, “who have you been texting?”

 

“It’s just a friend, hyung,” Yoongi replied, sighing. “Nothing you need to worry about. I don’t see why you all of a sudden need to know who I’m texting.”

 

“Who’s Yoongi-hyung texting?” Jimin suddenly asked, a lot closer to Yoongi than he was a minute ago and drawing the attention of the other members. “Does he suddenly have friends outside of the group?”

 

“Shut up, brat,” Yoongi complained, pushing at Jimin, but he wasn’t bothered and just used his ridiculous strength to stay put. “I have plenty of friends outside of BTS.”

 

“Yeah,” Hoseok said, “that you knew from before debut.” Yoongi froze at that. “You are constantly working and never actually go out and socialize unless someone drags you.”

 

“Is that suddenly a bad thing?” Yoongi asked. “Should I stop working on songs for us?”

 

“No no,” Seokjin hurried to reassure him. “Just, you know. You have a friend?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, eyes trying to find an escape. Finding none, and with six people staring at him, he gave up. “You know Hongbin?” he asked them.

 

There was several moments of silence, eyes blinking to try and remember the name.

 

“From Vixx?” Seokjin and Taehyung shouted at the same time, brains working hard to connect what they knew about Hongbin to his own character, and coming up short.

 

“How did that happen?” Seokjin asked, his tone confused.

 

Yoongi tried to come up with a good backstory, but his brain wasn’t thinking fast enough. He thought Vixx would be the one to confront Hongbin first and he would come up with a story that Yoongi could later use. He was always good at coming up with stories.

 

“Oh, you know,” Yoongi started. “He just approached me one day and…” he silently apologized to Hongbin, “asked me out.”

 

There was a moment of complete silence.

 

“We’re dating.”

 

There was an uproar.

 

\--

 

“What? Hongbin?” Jaehwan suddenly yelled in the van, causing the members to hit him and tell him to keep his voice down. Taekwoon woke up and slapped him before putting his earbuds back in and trying to fall asleep.

 

“Hongbin,” Jaehwan said again, turning around and poking his leg. “What’s this I hear about you dating someone?”

 

There was a beat of silence.

 

“I’m sorry?” Hongbin asked, confused with the question. Hakyeon had turned around, curious about the drama happening behind him.

 

“Hongbin’s dating someone?” Hakyeon asked, pulling out his phone to search for rumors. “Who did they pair him with?”

 

“BTS Jin texted me. You know how we’re 92 line besties together, right?” Jaehwan asked. They all nodded, hearing something like that at some point. “Well apparently, he heard from Yoongi, erh, Suga from BTS that Hongbin and him are dating.”

 

Hongbin closed his eyes and rubbed at his head, already feeling a headache approaching. All of the members, except Taekwoon who was still pretending to be asleep, were staring at him, eyes questioning.

 

“Ha ha,” Hongbin laughed sarcastically, already ready to kill Yoongi. “Yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you all. Yoongi and I are dating.”

 

“Really?” Jaehwan asked, staring at Hongbin’s face. “Why, though? You could do so much better. He’s short. And not that handsome. You deserve at least Wonbin.”

 

“Wow, rude much?” Wonshik asked, speaking for the first time since the news, glaring at Jaehwan for probably the first time in his life.

 

“Yoongi is cute,” Hongbin said, already regretting corroborating Yoongi’s story. “He has a nice smile. And he’s super smart. We’re also pretty similar.”

 

 _I’m also going to kill him,_ Hongbin thought, as he rubbed his head.

 

\--

 

To Yoongioh: So, I heard we’re dating now

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do.

 

To Yoongioh: You owe me big time. Like, actually paying for me if we go out, like a boyfriend would.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Yeah, shit, fine. I messed up. I’ll be a good fake boyfriend to you.

 

To Yoongioh: That’s really all I wanted.

 

\--

 

“Where are they?” Hongbin muttered to himself as he paced back and forth in the entrance of the building, rubbing his head. He was in Changwon for a tournament, but was waiting for Yoongi and his mom before going in. Finally, giving up on them, he made his way to the sign-in table.

 

“Has Min Yoongi signed in yet?” Hongbin asked the woman at the table, trying to take a peek at the names on the list in front of her. He shifted from side to side while she looked down the list.

 

“Sorry, it looks like that person is not on the list,” she said. “Can I help you with something?”

 

Hongbin blinked, then leaned forward over the table. “That can’t be right. He told me he was coming to this tournament. Can you check again?”

 

The woman sighed but checked again, running her eyes over the list of names.

 

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t see him. Are you competing?”

 

“Yeah,” Hongbin said, thinking hard. “I’m just waiting for my guardian. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He didn’t wait for any acknowledgement before he walked away and headed back near the entrance. When he saw a nice, elderly woman walk in, he quickly made his way over to her.

 

“Hi, excuse me, grandmother,” Hongbin said, smiling at the woman as she turned her head. “I have a question, do you mind if I bother you for a moment?”

 

“Of course not, go ahead, young man,” the older woman said.

 

“You see, my mother isn’t feeling well and is in the bathroom, but I need someone to sign me in because I’m participating in a tournament with other kids around my age. Would you mind helping me to sign in?”

 

The woman smiled at his dimples and reached a hand out to pat his head. “Of course not. Take me to where you need to be.”

 

Once Hongbin was safely inside the room where the tournament was being held, he looked around, trying to see if he could find Yoongi, but he didn’t. When he came in second and turned to his side to show off his award to Yoongi and Yoongi’s mom, he frowned when he remembered they weren’t there.

 

The small trophy didn’t fit in his bag, so Hongbin held the trophy on his lap for the bus ride back home. He glared at his hands as he held his trophy, lamenting the fact that he wasn’t able to see his friend, even though Yoongi promised that he would be at the tournament in Changwon.

 

As usual when the tournament was far away, Hongbin had told his parents that he was staying at a friend’s house overnight. When he arrived back in Seoul, he found a chair in the waiting room of the bus station and curled up on it, close enough to a family to avoid suspicion, at least for a little while. However, several hours later he was woken up by a police officer shaking his shoulder and telling him to go home.

 

Hongbin took a late bus home and just stared at the doorway to their apartment for a few minutes before finally working up the courage to enter. When he did, he was relieved to see that his parents were either already in bed, or out. As he walked through the seemingly empty apartment, he felt a sense of deep loneliness which was only cured when he got into his room, shut the door, and placed his new trophy on his desk. Hongbin stared at it for a few minutes before getting ready for bed, excited that whenever he would see Yoongi again, he could tell him that he came in second place.

 

But Yoongi didn’t make it to the next tournament either. Nor the one after that. Nor the one after that.

 

After that, Hongbin stopped attending too. He pushed his deck into the back of one of his drawers and stopped playing Duel Monsters. Somehow, it wasn’t fun anymore.

 

\--

 

The two of them texted back and forth for several weeks, perfecting their cover story, and just to get to know each other better. The members of both groups were way too interested in their love life, and always gave them knowing smirks when they were texting for a little too long. But, being idols, they really didn’t have many chances to meet.

 

When three weeks had passed since the reveal of their fake relationship, Hongbin and Yoongi finally had a chance to hang out with each other outside of a text conversation. They decided to bring their cameras and go to a park.

 

“Let me see your camera,” Hongbin said as soon as he saw Yoongi walking up to him. Hongbin was sitting on a bench, looking through his pictures on his own camera, occasionally scowling and deleting the blurry, or just bad pictures as he waited for Yoongi.

 

“Here,” Yoongi said, after he had taken out his camera. Hongbin admired the camera and the special lenses Yoongi had before handing it back.

 

“You ready to go?” Hongbin asked, standing up from the bench and holding out a hand to help Yoongi stand. The hand was unnecessary, but Yoongi took it anyway, letting Hongbin pull him into a standing position.

 

They walked slowly, stopping whenever something caught their eye. Hongbin enjoyed the flowers, and would squat in front of a group of flowers for several minutes, trying to get a perfect shot. Yoongi would watch Hongbin as he took pictures of flowers, occasionally sneaking a pic of Hongbin when he wasn’t paying attention. When there were people nearby, they would both take pictures, Hongbin focusing on the longboarders as they practiced in the wide open space, Yoongi taking pictures of the couples holding hands, zooming in on a random focal point. The both quickly brought up their cameras when they spotted a group of boys playing basketball and stood there, watching and taking pictures of them, for around thirty minutes.

 

“You wanna get some coffee?” Yoongi asked after they had been walking for several hours, bodies shivering slightly in the chilly weather.

 

Hongbin shrugged. “I don’t drink coffee, but I’ll get juice or tea or something.”

 

Once they had their drinks, the two of them found a quiet spot in the coffee shop and took a seat, taking out their cameras once more to look through the hundreds of pictures they both took.

 

“Yoongi, look at this,” Hongbin said, holding out his camera. Yoongi gently took the camera from his hand and stared at the screen, a laugh coming out unbidden as he saw the picture. Somehow, Hongbin had captured a longboarder mid-fall, their eyes wide and their mouth open, board already being pushed away to the side of the screen.

 

“It’s pretty funny,” Yoongi acknowledged, looking through the other pictures. He saw several more pictures of people longboarding, but those eventually transitioned into flowers, and people playing basketball, and… him.

 

Yoongi stared at his picture for a long time, looking at the way the light hit his hat, casting a shadow over half of his face. There were crinkles in the corner of his eyes from where he was scrunching his face, smiling brightly for a joke he no longer remembers. He’s staring at the basketball players, their forms blurred. It was very clear that he was the focus of the picture, and that Hongbin had spent time getting the exact effect he did.

 

“I didn’t even notice you take this,” Yoongi said, turning the camera so Hongbin could look at what he was talking about.

 

“Oh,” Hongbin said, looking a little lost. “That.” He reached out for the camera, and Yoongi handed it to him. “You looked pretty just standing there, enjoying watching people play basketball. You… really enjoy it, don’t you?”

 

Yoongi met Hongbin’s eyes and gave a small smile. “Yeah, I really do. Being in idol, writing music, it’s fulfilling, but basketball was my first love, or, er, second, and that’s not something that goes away. You keep loving it forever. I think I’ll play basketball until I’m old and my knees no longer work.”

 

Hongbin stared at him a little longer before smiling back, dimples deepening. “Well, I don’t really have your passion for it, but basketball is fun. I don’t get to play it very often because of our schedules, that and Vixx collectively sucks at it. It’s exhausting playing with them.”

 

Yoongi laughed, agreeing. “Yeah, my members try, but they’re not very good. Maybe Jimin and Jungkook, but they’re good at everything that has to do with sports. Kind of.”

 

“Taekwoonie-hyung thinks he’s good at everything, but he’s really not. He sucks at basketball. You just can’t tell him that because he’ll sulk for days.”

 

There was silence for a few moments before Yoongi decided to break it.

 

“I’m sorry, Hongbin.”

 

Hongbin looked up and raised an eyebrow, mouth curled up on one side. “What for?”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “You know what for. For telling everyone we’re dating. It wasn’t fair to you. I probably caused trouble for you, so I’m sorry.”

 

Hongbin just waved him off. “They know I like guys,” Yoongi’s eyebrows raised at that, “and it just gives me a reason to get out of the practice room occasionally, to play basketball, or whatever. Besides,” he smirked, “now you have to pay for everything we do together. It’s a pretty nice deal.”

 

“If you’re sure,” Yoongi said, his eyes narrowed as he took his coffee and sipped it, wincing at the now lukewarm temperature.

 

“I’m sure,” Hongbin replied. “But, if you really want to apologize for something, you can apologize for abandoning me ten years ago and never telling me where you went.”

 

Hongbin was still smiling, but Yoongi frowned, heart aching.

 

“I’m joking,” Hongbin said, giving a small laugh and waving away his own statement.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi said quietly, meeting Hongbin’s eyes to show his sincerity. Hongbin’s smile dropped as he stared at his friend.

 

“Yeah?” Hongbin asked, his voice soft and deep, eyes still meeting Yoongi’s.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi said, giving a sad smile.

 

\--

 

Very soon, it was September and it had been seven months since Hongbin and Yoongi had been fake dating. They met up several more times, texted a ridiculous amount, but with their schedules, both individual and group, it was nearly impossible to spend a lot of time together. But both of their teams did anything possible to ensure that they could hang out when they had free time. They were all way too invested in their love life.

 

Both Hongbin and Yoongi were participating in basketball during the 2015 ISAC. There was a lot of down time between matches or when they had to set up something, so they sat together, occasionally chatting. But they were on different teams, so it was less time together than they would have liked.

 

“What are you doing after this today?” Yoongi asked Hongbin while they waited for the next match. Hongbin just shrugged.

 

“We probably won’t finish until super late, so probably nothing but going to sleep. I’m pretty sure we’re leaving for China tomorrow afternoon. Why, did you want to hang out?” Hongbin asked, looking at Yoongi. He nodded.

 

“Yeah, but if you’re going on a plane tomorrow, you probably want to rest. We’ll just figure out some other time.”

 

Hongbin frowned, contemplating his schedule. “No, it should be okay,” he said. “If we don’t finish too late, we should do something. I haven’t seen you in a month.”

 

Yoongi nodded, all too aware of that fact.

 

“We don’t really need to do anything big. You can just come to my studio and hang out. I was planning on going there anyway.”

 

Hongbin nodded slowly, still thinking. It was Taekwoon who took the decision out of his hands when he walked up to join Hongbin on the bench.

 

“You should go, Bin-ah,” he said, glancing once at Yoongi before turning back to Hongbin. “Our plane doesn’t leave until three. You can come back late and get some sleep then.” He put a hand on Hongbin’s knee and squeezed before standing up again. “I’m going to tell our manager.” He left without saying anything else, quickly scanning the crowded stands for their manager before using his long legs to get away before Hongbin could say anything.

 

Hongbin and Yoongi stared after him for a few moments before turning back to each other. Hongbin sighed. “I guess I’m hanging out with you no matter what.”

 

The basketball tournament ended late, as they both predicted, their teams playing against each other in the finals. It was fun, but they were both exhausted at the end. Hongbin joined Yoongi and his manager as they went back to Big Hit.

 

“It’s… cozy,” Hongbin said as he looked around Yoongi’s studio. Yoongi’s interests and personality could be seen everywhere, from the jersey on his wall, to the candle resting on one of the speakers. Yoongi dragged in another chair from somewhere in the building, and the two of them sat down, staring at the computer.

 

“Sorry,” Yoongi said, turning to face Hongbin. “It’s usually just me in here.”

 

“Oh, I can tell,” Hongbin said, sniffing the air slightly. “It smells like your body odor.”

 

Yoongi sniffed the air slightly then punched Hongbin in the arm when he didn’t smell anything bad. “It smells like a candle,” he retorted, punching Hongbin’s arm again for good measure.

 

“Sorry, just kidding. It’s nice. It’s different from Wonshik’s studio, or Taekwoon-hyung’s. You can tell a lot about a person by their studio.”

 

“So, it’s like showing you my soul?” Yoongi asked, immediately shivering at the cheesy words that came out of his mouth. Hongbin fake gagged as well, hands curling up in front of his face. “Pretend I never said that,” Yoongi said, glancing at Hongbin who just shook his head.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think I can just forget that. It’s scarred into my brain forever. I’m going to be remembering it in my nightmares.”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes at Hongbin’s dramatics and just turned on his computer.

 

“So, what are you going to show me?” Hongbin asked, gesturing at the now lit screen.

 

“Hm?” Yoongi asked, before realizing what Hongbin was asking. “Oh, nothing really. I just have all my work stuff on here. And things that I am in the middle of, projects I’ll never finish.” He turned to Hongbin. “Do you want to hear some?”

 

Hongbin shrugged. “Sure. I’m occasionally Wonshik’s guinea pig, I can be yours too.” There was some silence while Yoongi pulled up the files he was looking for. “So, how many boys do you invite into your studio and show your unfinished work?” Hongbin asked, tone joking.

 

“Very few,” Yoongi replied, not really paying attention to what Hongbin was saying as he focused on what was on his screen. “Here, listen to this. It’s something I started, like, a year ago and never finished. I didn’t know what to do with it.”

 

Hongbin listened quietly, looking at Yoongi as he stared at the screen, watching the different parts of the track go by.

 

“Huh,” Hongbin said after the fragment of a song was over. “You’re good.”

 

Yoongi turned to look at him. “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Hongbin waved a hand at him.

 

“You know what I mean. You know you’re good. Even the stuff you never finished is good.” Yoongi still stared at him. “It’s a compliment,” Hongbin insisted.

 

“Okay,” Yoongi said, turning back around in his chair to play another song, still not sure if what Hongbin said was a compliment or not. “This is something I’ve actually been working on recently. I wanted to do something that combined some of our earlier stuff with our newer sound and bring-” he was cut off when Hongbin grabbed his chair and turned it before pressing his lips to Yoongi’s.

 

Yoongi stayed still in his chair, not doing much of anything while the surprised of Hongbin’s action took over his body. After a few seconds, Hongbin drew away and leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving Yoongi’s as he crossed his hands over his chest.

 

Yoongi stared at his friend, surprised. “Why did you kiss me?” he asked after a long moment of silence. Hongbin just shrugged, mouth curving up slightly in an attempt to smile.

 

“Because I wanted to,” he replied, still staring deep into Yoongi’s eyes.

 

“So this is…” Yoongi trialed off, unsure of what to ask. He had no idea what Hongbin wanted.

 

“This is a move, me asking if you want to actually date for real,” Hongbin replied. He was still slightly smiling, but Yoongi could see the hesitation in his eyes, the fear that what Yoongi might say will be the end of their friendship. He looked wild, like he had when he was younger, when he would risk everything to get what he wanted. Yoongi would recognize that look anywhere, even after ten years.

 

“Okay,” he said finally, seeing an unnoticed tension leak out of Hongbin’s body as he relaxed his entire body, shoulders sinking back into his chair. “What made you think I would agree?” he asked, giving Hongbin a small smile as he did so, receiving an eye roll in return.

 

“Oh please,” Hongbin said. “It’s me. No one could resist me.” Yoongi opened his mouth to refute that statement, but Hongbin just smiled at him brightly and moved his hand in front of his neck, cutting off what Yoongi was about to say. “Besides,” he continued, “why the hell would the first thing you think of when asked why we were hanging out be because we were dating? I mean, come on, that had to have been what was on your mind.”

 

“Hm,” Yoongi said, as he slowly moved his chair a little closer to where Hongbin was sitting. He grabbed his hand and pulled Hongbin so they were close, lips brushing over each other slightly. “Maybe.”

 

They kissed again, this time Yoongi taking the lead, one of his hands reaching to cup the back of Hongbin’s neck. Hongbin was half out of his chair, bracing one hand on the arm of Yoongi’s chair, the other hand pressed firmly against Yoongi’s thigh, holding his weight. They kissed for a minute before pulling back, eyes connecting as Hongbin sat back in his chair.

 

“There is really no room in here,” Hongbin said, laughing. His dimples were deep on his cheeks, and Yoongi wished that he had his camera to capture this moment of pure enjoyment on Hongbin’s face. He was too often plagued with hidden pressures and his own fear of failure, that this open look was rare. He reached out with a hand to touch one of Hongbin’s dimples, thumb dipping into the crevice until Hongbin was no longer smiling, his skin once again smooth.

 

“I won’t be able to hang out a lot from now on,” Hongbin said softly. Yoongi’s hand dropped from his face and rested on Hongbin’s leg. He squeezed his knee and hummed low in his throat.

 

“I understand,” Yoongi said. “That’s the kind of life we live.”

 

“I’m starting to film a drama soon, and then Vixx is making a comeback in November. I’ll have no time at all between those two things.”

 

“Oh?” Yoongi asked his tone curious. “We’re making a comeback November as well. Maybe we’ll see each other then?”

 

Hongbin shrugged. “It’s possible. We’ll come back mid-November, probably promote until early December. The concept is… something. You might enjoy it.” He smirked at Yoongi with his last sentence.

 

“What is it?” Yoongi asked, now curious, but Hongbin just shook his head, his eyes mischievous, and leaved forward again for another kiss.

 

Hongbin left not long after, catching a taxi outside of the Big Hit building, and went home to get some sleep before their flight. Yoongi went back to his studio after seeing Hongbin out, and began to work on a new song, completely inspired.

 

\--

 

To Yoongioh: I finally finished filming! I’m home free!

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Thank goodness. If I had to read your complaints any longer, I would break up with you.

 

To Yoongioh: Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Well, I’m just glad that now I get you all to myself. No more sharing with the long nights you spend filming.

 

To Yoongioh: Hah. Now you just have to share me with Vixx, and our Japanese comeback, and our fans, and practice time.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: I think I can handle that.

 

To Yoongioh: Good. What is your schedule like next week?

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Way too busy. I even have to schedule in sleep. How about the next week?

 

To Yoongioh: Multiple planning sessions with our promotional team discussing what needs to happen for our new concept, and I’m in Japan from Tuesday through Thursday. Sometime after that?

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Yeah. Want to do something Friday? You could always come over and hang out. Seokjin-hyung wouldn’t mind if I kick him out for a while.

 

To Yoongioh: In that case, come to our place. We can watch a movie or something. Besides, I don’t share a room.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Yeah, okay. I’ll be there.

 

\--

 

“So, this is it,” Hongbin said as he lead Yoongi into their dorm, stepping over the shoes in the entryway, then quickly bending down to put them in an organized fashion. They all had space to put their own shoes so it wouldn’t clutter up the entryway, but sometimes, when a member was in a hurry, he’d kick them off without a thought.

 

“It’s nice,” Yoongi said, looking around the apartment.

 

“Yeah, I’m still not used to it, yet,” Hongbin said, leading Yoongi to the couch. “We just moved in, like, a month ago. And I’ve so far spent more time outside of the dorm than in it.”

 

“Hm,” Yoongi hummed, then leaned over to give Hongbin a quick kiss, which quickly turned into a make-out session, the two of them enjoying the open space of the living room. They hadn’t been able to physically see each other more than twice in the past four months, Hongbin busy with filming for his drama, and Yoongi busy with writing songs and working on their Japanese singles.

 

“I like your hair color,” Hongbin said, running his fingers through the strands before settling his hand against Yoongi’s neck. “It suits you.”

 

“You haven’t seen me in a while, then,” Yoongi said, kissing Hongbin again. “I’ve had this color for a long time. I’m about to change it again.”

 

They exchanged a strange glance, mouths pursed and eyes wide, before laughing. They kissed for several more minutes, Yoongi’s hand barely slipping up Hongbin’s shirt and caressing his abs before they stopped, leaving both of them feeling disappointed.

 

“We probably shouldn’t be doing this here,” Hongbin said softly, staring at Yoongi’s lips as he spoke. “Some of the members are home. As soon as one of them gets hungry, they’ll come by here to go to the kitchen.”

 

“And what are you planning to do about that?” Yoongi asked, leaning in slightly to press another kiss to Hongbin’s lips.

 

“Well,” Hongbin said, face still close to Yoongi’s. “We have two options. One, we could stay here and watch a movie. Or two, we can go to my room and continue what we started.”

 

“Number two,” Yoongi said as he sat back, grabbing at Hongbin’s hand. “But then, I actually want to watch a movie, so number one after.”

 

The two of them made out in Hongbin’s room for an hour or so, chatting about anything and laughing about whatever happened recently. When they could feel the other’s stomach rumbling, with hands pressed against taut skin and muscle, they decided it was time to emerge and find something to eat.

 

“You’re here? I thought you went out,” Hakyeon said when Hongbin rounded the corner. Yoongi followed behind him and saw when Hakyeon’s eyes opened wider, finally seeing him. “And the boyfriend is with you. Hi, I’m Hakyeon. What are you two doing?”

 

“Do you really want to know?” Hongbin asked, an eyebrow raised. He reached behind him to grab Yoongi’s hand and pulled him so that they were standing next to each other. “We got hungry.”

 

Hakyeon stood up from where he was sitting on the couch and pulled out his phone, walking up to them.

 

“I was just about to order some chicken. You two want some?”

 

Hongbin exchanged glances with Yoongi, who just shrugged, not caring either way.

 

“Sure,” he finally said, before turning back to Hakyeon, who was staring at them with a wide smile on his face. “And can you stop staring at us like that and go back to whatever you were doing?”

 

“Fine, fine,” Hakyeon said, already dialing a number he memorized a long time ago. “Just, who knew how cute my Hongbin would be when he’s in love.”

 

“Ugh, hyung, can you shut up?” Hongbin asked. But Hakyeon just smiled again and ruffled his hair, not dropping his smile even when Hongbin batted away his hand.

 

“Now, Min Yoongi-ssi, is there a kind of chicken you want?” Hakyeon asked. Yoongi was surprised out of his thoughts by suddenly being addressed, and shook his head.

 

“No, hyung,” Yoongi said. “Anything is fine.” He didn’t want to impose, and was still taken aback by the formal form of address from Hongbin’s leader.

 

Hongbin started berating Hakyeon about teasing Yoongi, but Hakyeon held up a hand and motioned for him to be quiet, holding up the phone to his ear and speaking to the people on the other side.

 

The three of them made awkward small talk, which was more of Hakyeon asking increasingly difficult questions for Yoongi to answer, and always ended in Hongbin and Hakyeon fighting, something the other said setting each other off. When the chicken came, it was a relief for Yoongi, who didn’t feel comfortable being in the same room as Vixx’s leader without food in front of him to keep him occupied. He was a force to be reckoned with, and something completely different than dealing with any of the BTS members. At least he knew how to respond to them.

 

When Hakyeon had paid for the chicken, he was yelling before the door even closed.

 

“Food is here! Han Sanghyuk, stop whatever you are doing and come eat with me.” Hakyeon put the chicken on the table and was already stomping off to find Hyuk, not waiting for a response that was likely to not come. This left Hongbin and Yoongi alone in the kitchen.

 

“He’s… different,” Yoongi offered up, feeling the force of the eye roll Hongbin gave him rather than seeing it.

 

“Yeah, he’s a whirlwind. You should be glad you don’t live with him. It’s exhausting.”

 

The two of them stepped closer to each other, Yoongi wrapping an arm around Hongbin’s waist, head falling against his shoulder as he groaned.

 

“You tired?” Hongbin asked, wrapping his arms around Yoongi as well. Yoongi nodded into his shoulder.

 

“I could probably fall asleep standing up if I wasn’t so hungry,” he said. “This chicken smells so good though.”

 

“Yeah, well, you’re too skinny,” Hongbin commented, squeezing Yoongi’s sides a little as he said it, causing him to squirm. “You’ve always been too skinny, even as a kid.”

 

“Look who’s talking,” Yoongi grumbled back. “I think you’ve lost weight since you were twelve.”

 

Hongbin pulled back from the hug slightly, causing Yoongi to groan again at the loss of his pillow. He frowned up at Hongbin, who just rolled his eyes and walked to the table, grabbing the chicken, turning back to raise an eyebrow, waiting for Yoongi to follow.

 

They settled on the couch, turning on the TV to watch something while they ate. Hakyeon and Sanghyuk eventually showed up to grab some chicken before retreating to the kitchen, leaving Yoongi and Hongbin to have some time alone.

 

When Yoongi fell asleep halfway through the movie, his head against a pillow and an arm and a leg hanging off the couch, Hongbin paused the movie and started to clean up the mess they made, putting the leftover chicken in the fridge with a note on it for Jaehwan, Wonshik, and Taekwoon, saying that they were welcome to eat some. Jaehwan and Taekwoon probably would have anyway, as food never stayed un-eaten in their dorm for long, but it was better to leave a note than not.

 

Because he had nothing better to do, Hongbin cleaned the kitchen, picking up after Hakyeon and Hyuk, and washed the dishes that someone forgot to do that morning. When everything was up to his standards, he wandered back into the living room and sat next to Yoongi on the couch, taking out his phone for lack of anything better to do.

 

Jaehwan came back an hour later, making more noise than humanly possible as he took off his shoes and walked past the living room, stopping and staring at Hongbin.

 

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked, a little too loudly. Hongbin quickly shushed him, gesturing to the body next to him on the couch. Jaehwan walked closer, squinting to try and see who was laying there. “Is that your boyfriend?”

 

Hongbin nodded, gesturing for Jaehwan to lower his voice again. “He fell asleep, like, two hours ago. I’ve already cleaned the kitchen. I have nothing to do.”

 

Jaehwan laughed quietly, stifling the sound with him hand, but Yoongi still made a mumbling sound and stretched his body, nearly falling off the couch. He sat up, eyes blearily as he stared at Hongbin.

 

“What time is it?” he asked, voice hoarse, barely acknowledging Jaehwan standing a few feet away. Hongbin glanced at his phone quickly before replying.

 

“It’s 11:15.”

 

Yoongi groaned, rubbing at his eyes. “I should probably go home. I need to text Seokjin-hyung and my manager.”

 

“You can stay here,” Jaehwan spoke up, causing Yoongi to look over in his direction, noticing him for the first time. “If you don’t have anything to do tomorrow morning, it might be easiest to crash here with us. We have individual practice tomorrow, so Hongbin can leave whenever.”

 

Hongbin and Yoongi exchanged glances, asking each other silently if that was okay. After a few seconds, Yoongi nodded, resulting in a smile from Hongbin.

 

“Alright,” Yoongi said, “but I still need to text Seokjin-hyung and my manager so they don’t worry about where I am.”

 

While Yoongi took out his phone, Jaehwan grinned widely and gave Hongbin two thumbs up, winking at him. Hongbin flicked him off and rolled his eyes, making a shooing motion with his hand in hopes that Jaehwan would leave. He did, making kissing motions as he left.

 

To Seokjin: I’m staying over with Hongbin tonight. Fell asleep half way through a movie. They offered to house me.

 

To Yoongi: Why do I feel like you’re lying to me? Anyway, have fun. I’ll enjoy having the room all to myself.

 

To Seokjin: I’m really not lying, but I will have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.

 

To Yoongi: Whatever. Get some actual sleep while you’re there. I don’t want to put up with your cranky self tomorrow.

 

Yoongi didn’t reply back, just setting his phone next to him on the couch and turning to Hongbin.

 

“Sorry I fell asleep during the movie.”

 

Hongbin just shrugged, not really caring. “It was getting boring anyway. If you want to, we can keep watching it. Or we could just go to bed.”

 

“Do you mind?” Yoongi asked, yawning widely. It was a little early, Yoongi couldn’t remember the last time he went to sleep for the night before midnight, but at this point, he was exhausted.

 

Hongbin shook his head before standing up, holding out a hand to pull Yoongi up. He took the hand, stumbling as he got up before grabbing his phone, following Hongbin into his room.

 

“Here, you can use these,” Hongbin said as he tossed Yoongi a pair of shorts and a shirt, grabbing an extra toothbrush from a drawer and passing it to him as well. “If you want to wash up, you can use the shower. I’m pretty sure Hakyeon-hyung is already in bed, and Taekwoon-hyung isn’t back yet. I think he and Wonshik might be sleeping in their studios tonight. So, no one will bother you.”

 

Yoongi gave a small smile in thanks and left the room, heading to the bathroom. While he was showering, he started thinking about how his life had changed the past year, since he and Hongbin had started talking regularly and became fake boyfriends. It was strange to have a friend who he knew in childhood in the same business he was in, someone who he could talk with who wasn’t in BTS.

 

As he sat down on Hongbin’s bed to apply moisturizer, waiting for Hongbin to finish in the shower, he continued his thoughts, bringing up long-forgotten memories of their youth.

 

“You know,” Yoongi said when he and Hongbin were laying down, facing each other on the bed, “I went looking for you once, back then.”

 

“Hm?” Hongbin asked, placing a hand lightly on Yoongi’s hip, rubbing circles with his thumb.

 

“After my parents made me quit playing, I planned for several weeks to go to a tournament by myself, but I couldn’t find you. I went all the way to Seoul on the bus, even slept in the station like you had told me.”

 

“I quit not long after you did,” Hongbin said. “It wasn’t fun anymore.”

 

Yoongi could barely see Hongbin’s face, eyes not quite used to the dark yet, but he leaned forward anyway, placing a kiss on his lips. Hongbin brought a hand up to Yoongi’s head, pulling him in a little more to deepen the kiss.

 

When they pulled back, Yoongi could see less than he did before. “You know, I was really worried about you. You didn’t do safe things when you were a kid, and when I couldn’t find you at the tournament, I was worried that something had happened to you. I didn’t have your phone number, had no idea who your parents were, or where in Seoul you lived, even though my mom tried to find out. I thought about you for so long, but eventually, with no news, I just stopped. Didn’t think about you until I saw you in the broadcasting station. Then I never stopped.”

 

Hongbin nodded his head against the pillow, Yoongi seeing the movement through the dark.

 

“I really didn’t make healthy decisions when I was younger, I have to admit. Half the time my parents weren’t aware of where I was, I was sleeping in parks or in train stations, working part-time jobs to save up for tournament fees, or other things. It was really… not great. It’s something I look back on now and question how I was able to survive until now.” Hongbin shifted slightly before continuing. “I enjoyed it back then, but I was a lonely kid, you know? You were one of my only friends. I had acquaintances at school, but none of them were able to get close enough to me, and I didn’t let them. Everyone now assumes I must have been popular in school, but I really wasn’t. I just stayed by myself.”

 

Hongbin’s eyes were showing something Yoongi had never seen before in them, a kind of deep sadness. Somehow, Hongbin was a pretty positive person, even after all he went through as a kid, and the idol life. But Yoongi could do nothing for him but pull his body closer so they were sharing the same pillow. It was uncomfortable, and Yoongi liked having space while he slept, but it was nice to be this close to Hongbin.

 

Apparently Hongbin got over his sad thoughts quickly, because he raised his body up slightly and shifted, pushing at Yoongi’s side simultaneously so Yoongi was on his back, Hongbin hovering over him.

 

“Mmm,” Hongbin hummed as they kissed, slipping a hand under Yoongi’s shirt to caress his stomach, holding himself up with just an elbow, their lower halves pressed together.

 

“Is this okay?” Hongbin asked as he slipped his hand lower so it was resting on his lower stomach, fingers toying with the band of his pants.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi said, then immediately groaned when Hongbin’s hand drifted even lower, pressing up against his crotch.

 

It was a quick handjob from the both of them, Yoongi returning the favor once he finished, Hongbin laying at his side when his arm wouldn’t support his weight any more.

 

“I got your shorts all dirty,” Yoongi said between kisses, feeling sticky.

 

“Don’t care,” Hongbin said, “I’ll just wash them. But I do care about the fact that I’m wet and sticky and just took a shower.”

 

Yoongi groaned. “Same. Do you at least have a tissue so we can clean up, then take a shower tomorrow morning? I’m exhausted and really don’t want to get up.”

 

They cleaned up as well as they could before finding a better position to fall asleep in, Hongbin setting an alarm for the morning. They fell asleep easily after that.

 

\--

 

“Yoongi,” his mom said when he tried to stand up from the dinner table. He sat back down at the tone of her voice, staring at his dad who was also looking at him. It seemed like it would be a long discussion, judging by their faces.

 

“What?” he asked. “I was going to go finish my homework.”

 

His parents exchanged glances before his mom spoke up again. “We wanted to talk to you about something. That game you play, Duel Monsters,” her voice trailed off. Yoongi looked on with a blank face, wondering what she was talking about. “Your father and I don’t think it’s very healthy, is all. We want you to stop.”

 

Yoongi felt his breath hitch as he stared at his mom, who was staring anywhere but at him.

 

“Why?” Yoongi asked, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. “You’ve been to so many tournaments. It’s nothing bad at all.”

 

“Oh, I know, sweetie, but it’s expensive to sign up for the tournaments, and you can’t do it forever. We need to think about your future.”

 

“Anything but your card game,” his dad said. “There’s really not future in it. Besides, you’re 12 now. You need to start focusing on school, or finding something you enjoy doing.”

 

Yoongi frowned. “But I only know Duel Monsters. Or rap. Or basketball, but I’m too short for that. Those are the only things that I’m good at.”  

 

His parents exchanged a look again. “As we said,” his mom repeated, turning her head to face him, “anything but Duel Monsters.”

 

Yoongi felt the tears drip down his face, but he quickly wiped them away, trying to pull himself back together. It didn’t work well, so he just sat on his chair, staring at the table while he wiped at his eyes, trying to stop his tears. He stayed like that for a few minutes, then looked up at his parents who were looking at him sadly.

 

“But mom,” Yoongi said, turning to her. “What about Hongbin? I don’t know how to contact him. How can I say goodbye?” He had already accepted that he would no longer be able to play, knowing that he couldn’t put a financial burden on his parents.

 

“Oh, sweetie,” she said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to do with Hongbin. You really don’t know how to contact him? He’s never mentioned it before?”

 

Yoongi shook his head, thinking back on all the conversations he’s had with Hongbin, trying to look for a clue as to how to contact him.

 

“No, Mom,” he finally said. “I only know that he lives in Seoul. I’m pretty sure his parents don’t know he plays, though,” he said, looking at his mother. She was nodding her head, agreeing.

 

“He’s such a nice boy,” she said, looking off to the side of the kitchen. Yoongi followed her gaze, but found nothing but the sink. His mother was quiet for a few more seconds before speaking again. “Look, Yoongi, I know you like Hongbin, and I do as well, but you have to admit he might not be the best influence in the world. He’s a little… out of control.”

 

Yoongi felt tears start to fall again as he nodded, agreeing with what his mother was saying. He knew that.

 

“Okay,” Yoongi said, looking up at his parents and giving them a small nod. There was nothing he could do in this situation. He had to agree.

 

“Yeah?” his mom asked as she stood up to come over and give him a hug, his dad following soon after.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi said, nodding into her shoulder as he waited for his tears to stop falling.

 

\--

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: When’s the next time you have a couple of days off?

 

To Yoongioh: Ugh, probably not until around Chuseok. We’re preparing for a comeback and a concert in August, and a whole bunch of other things. Why?

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: My mom wants to see you. She cried when I told her about you. I was hoping to go see her soon.

 

To Yoongioh: Damn. I really don’t think I can take any time out, at least not long enough to spend more than a couple of hours in Daegu.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: I understand. Would you be willing to see her if I can convince her to come to Seoul instead?

 

To Yoongioh: Of course! Can’t disappoint Mama Min. I’ve missed her.

 

To Narcissistic Monarch: Okay, well let me see if it’s even possible before we start making plans. We could have dinner together or something.

 

To Yoongioh: Yeah, just let me know.

 

\--

 

“Hey everyone,” Yoongi called out while they were taking a short break from practice. The members were scattered across the floor, talking or just resting before Hoseok would force them to continue dancing. “Can Hongbin sleep over tomorrow night?”

 

Seokjin laughed from where he was laying on the floor, face flushed from dancing. “You mean ‘Hey Seokjin-hyung, can Hongbin sleep over tomorrow night in our room,’ right? I’m the only one this would really effect.”

 

“Don’t you usually sleep over at their dorm, though?” Namjoon asked, curious. “I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, but I’m wondering why it changed.”

 

As always, Namjoon was too perceptive.

 

“It’s really no reason,” Yoongi said, shrugging. “My mom is coming up to Seoul in two days and we were going to have an early lunch with her. It would just be easier to be in the same place rather than him traveling here, or going to pick him up that morning.”

 

“Ooh, I see,” Jimin said, nodding his head. “He’s meeting the parents for the first time, and you’re nervous and want him close. Why? You think your mom won’t like him?”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “That’s really not the reason. I’m not nervous, and my mom already likes him. It’s just convenient. Besides, you guys have never officially met him, which is weird. I’ve met the Vixx members way too many times. I’ve been exposed to Hakyeon-hyung, so now he needs to be exposed to you. It’s payback.” Yoongi’s eyes became scary at the end as he thought of his numerous meetings with Vixx’s leader. For a man who seems nice when they greet each other during events, or on camera, when meeting him in person, he was honestly scary.

 

“It’s fine with me,” Seokjin said, shrugging his shoulders. “As long as you two don’t do anything too nasty while I’m in the room.”

 

“We save that for the privacy of his room,” Yoongi said, waving off the comment, smirking when he noticed several of the members scrunch up their faces. Taehyung grinned like a madman, though, so Yoongi made a mental note to keep Hongbin very far away from him.

 

“It’s fine,” Namjoon said, after assessing the members’ faces. Everyone nodded, then groaned when Hoseok forced them to stand up and resume practice.

 

\--

 

“So this is your place, huh?” Hongbin asked as they stepped through the door. The entryway was a mess of shoes, but Hongbin just slipped his off neatly and placed them by the others, a calm in a mess of chaos.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi said. “Sorry, it’s a little crowded compared to your dorm.”

 

Hongbin just waved a hand at him, walking farther in. “I’m very used to crowded. I used to share a room with, like, six other boys during our trainee days. And then there were four of us in one room until we moved. You don’t need to justify anything to me.”

 

“There he is,” Seokjin interrupted when he walked by, stopping in front of Hongbin and Yoongi with a grin. “I know we’ve kind of met, but I’m Seokjin. I’ll be one of your roommates for tonight.”

 

Hongbin grinned back and gave a small nod in greeting. “Well, I’ll happily share a room with you for tonight. I’m Hongbin, this one’s boyfriend,” he said as he swatted at Yoongi’s stomach with a hand. Yoongi scowled and swatted him back. Hongbin just gave him a superior look before turning back to Seokjin.

 

“Okay, well I’m going to be a good host and cook dinner. Somehow, you coming is a special occasion so I was strong-armed into cooking by the brats. If you see them, you really don’t have to be nice to them, okay?” Seokjin asked, raising an eyebrow. Hongbin nodded and waved slightly as Seokjin wandered off to the kitchen.

 

“What should we do now?” Hongbin asked, turning slightly to Yoongi. Yoongi just shrugged, unsure.

 

“We could go to my room. It’ll be empty until dinner, then we’ll actually have to socialize.”

 

“Ew, people,” Hongbin said jokingly, a smile lighting up his face. Yoongi rolled his eyes and silently picked up Hongbin’s hand, dragging him into his room. They passed by Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook hanging out in front of the TV, playing a game of some sort, but they were too absorbed to notice the two walking by.

 

“I wonder what we should do with all of this free time,” Hongbin said sarcastically, before sitting on Yoongi’s bed, pulling him down with him.

 

An hour later, when Seokjin came to get them, they were laying on their stomachs, watching something on Yoongi’s phone.

 

“Thank goodness you two weren’t doing anything,” Seokjin said as they were walking toward the kitchen, “I completely forgot to knock.”

 

“You should have come twenty minutes earlier,” Hongbin said, grunting when Yoongi elbowed his side.

 

“Hey, kids,” Seokjin said as he passed the couch. When no one answered him, he walked up to Taehyung and slapped the back of his head, finally earning his attention. “It’s time to eat. Come on.”

 

Hoseok and Namjoon were already waiting for them, engaged in some kind of staring contest with the food.

 

Everyone started to eat, the noise extremely loud, something that Hongbin was definitely not used to, especially when eating at home. He interacted with everyone, his smile consistent on his face. Halfway through dinner, Yoongi turned to him slightly and said in a low voice, “you’re being strangely kind. It’s weird.”

 

“Don’t you know?” Hongbin asked. “I’m always kind. People love me.”

 

Yoongi couldn’t help but scoff, rolling his eyes. “Then they really don’t know you. You’ve never been a nice person.”

 

Hongbin gave a too wide smile, his dimples deep before he pinched Yoongi’s thigh under the table, causing him to yelp and retaliate by hitting Hongbin in the stomach with the side of his hand. They both smirked nastily at each other before noticing that the conversation had stopped and everyone was staring at them. Hongbin put on his most peaceful smile, pretending he did nothing.

 

“Now I can see it,” Jimin said, glancing between the two of them. “There is no way Yoongi-hyung would date anyone that kind and nice. You had to have been hiding something.”

 

Hongbin gasped, putting a hand to his chest. Yoongi rolled his eyes at the faked sound. “What? No, Yoongi punched me in my stomach out of nowhere. You guys need to talk to him about his aggression, honestly.”

 

The members exchanged glances, but Yoongi just put an arm around Hongbin’s waist and pinched his hip. He was rewarded with a middle finger for his troubles.

 

“Yeah, it fits,” Hoseok said, rolling his eyes at their antics.

 

“So, you’re meeting Yoongi’s mom for the first time, right? Are you nervous?” Seokjin asked, looking at Hongbin. Hongbin just waved him off.

 

“No, I’ve met her, like, a thousand times already. She loves me. It’ll be the first time as his boyfriend, though, so who knows.”

 

Yoongi froze, and he noticed Namjoon doing the same thing, thinking over Hongbin’s statement. Yoongi grabbed Hongbin’s knee under the table and squeezed gently, knowing what was coming. Looking at Hongbin’s face, he realized Hongbin had no idea what he just said.

 

“You’ve met her a lot?” Namjoon asked, leaning forward slightly. “When did you first meet, then? You guys rarely have time to spend time with each other, nonetheless Yoongi’s mom.”

 

It was then Hongbin froze, turning to Yoongi in a slight panic. Yoongi just shielded his eyes with a hand and waved at him to continue.

 

“Well, we were friends when we were kids. I met Mama Min a lot when I was younger, but before meeting Yoongi again in 2013, we hadn’t seen each other in 8 years.”

 

“Didn’t you grow up in Seoul, though?” Taehyung asked, for once using his brain the way it was intended to be used. “How did you two know each other?”

 

The two stared at each other for a few long seconds, eyes communicating silently. Finally, it seemed like they came to a consensus, and Yoongi groaned, motioning for Hongbin to continue.

 

“Well, um,” he paused, straightening his back. “When we were younger, um, we both played a game competitively, and met often at tournaments. We became friends that way.”

 

Seokjin started tapping at his chin. “What game was popular around ten years ago? Call of Duty? But Yoongi sucks at that.”

 

“Hey,” Yoongi protested, but it was weak because he knew, no matter what, he would have to expose himself.

 

“It wasn’t a video or PC game,” Hongbin said slowly, exchanging glances again with Yoongi. “It was a card game.”

 

The members were muttering to each other, trying to figure it out.

 

“Duel Monsters,” Jungkook finally said, eyes widening slightly when everyone turned to him. “It was Duel Monsters, right?”

 

“Are you serious?” Jimin and Hoseok asked together, laughing lightly before turning to Hongbin and Yoongi, noticing their wide eyes.

 

“Oh my god,” Namjoon said, before starting to laugh.

 

“There is no way,” Jimin said, laughing. “You’re telling me that Yoongi-hyung, Yoongi-hyung played Duel Monsters? I had no idea he even knew what games were.”

 

“Blue eyes white drag him,” Seokjin said under his breath. But the entire table heard him, and Hongbin started to laugh loudly, snorting slightly as he did so. Everyone turned toward him, but he kept laughing, his dimples set deep in his face.

 

“I’m sorry, but that was really funny,” Hongbin said. “Blue eyes white drag him.”

 

Yoongi finally laughed as well, but it was bordering on hysterical.

 

“How good were you guys?” Taehyung asked. “I mean, I used to play with my friends, but we never went to tournaments.”

 

“God, this is embarrassing,” Yoongi muttered, covering his face again. “We were top ten in Korea. I was 6th and Hongbin was 8th.”

 

All the laughter stopped.

 

“Damn,” Seokjin and Taehyung said simultaneously. Hoseok whistled lowly.

 

Namjoon started laughing again, unable to contain himself. “I’m really sorry you guys. But this is so funny. What are the chances that two of the top ten duelists in Korea became idols? There is no connection between the two, yet if we look at the probability, it’s outrageously high.”

 

“Can we please stop talking about this and pretend you guys never found out?” Yoongi asked. “I never told anyone for a reason.”

 

“Shut up, it’s cute,” Hongbin said, nudging his side, smiling at him. But Yoongi just groaned.

 

“You never told Vixx either. Don’t act superior about this. If they knew you as a kid, they’d be surprised.”

 

“Well, they know now,” Seokjin said, waving his phone at them. “I just texted Jaehwan.”

 

Hongbin just shrugged. “It’s okay, only Hyuk and Jaehwan-hyung would tease me about it. But I have enough dirt on both of them for them to keep quiet.”

 

“Well this has been fun,” Yoongi said while standing up, “but I’m going back to my room and avoiding you guys for the next couple of days.” He started walking away, and Hongbin just shrugged before standing up and following him, making sure to thank Seokjin for the meal. He jogged slightly to catch up with Yoongi, then slapped his butt a couple of times before wrapping an arm around his waist. Yoongi made sure he saw his middle finger before wrapping an arm around Hongbin’s waist as well. Right before closing the door, they heard loud laughter coming from the other room.

 

“They’ll never let me live this down,” Yoongi groaned once he and Hongbin were on his bed. “The maknaes are going to be making sly jokes all the time too.”

 

“It had to come out sooner or later,” Hongbin said, throwing a leg over Yoongi’s. The sat like that for a while, playing on their phones until they were nodding off. When Seokjin came in two hours later, they were curled up together, asleep.

 

\--

 

Yoongi made a face as he picked another card out of his draw pile, adding it into his hand. Hongbin laughed at him.

 

“Don’t remember the effects of the card?” he asked. Yoongi nodded and groaned.

 

“Why did we think it was a good idea to play each other again after not having even picked up our decks in over ten years? I’ve forgotten the special effects of some of these monsters. And I don’t even remember having Skull Invitation. What the hell?”

 

“Oh? You just picked up Skull Invitation? You should play that,” Hongbin said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

 

“Fine,” Yoongi said, slapping the card down. “I’m activating the trap card Skull Invitation. This means that for every card you send to the graveyard, it inflicts 300 points of damage to your life points. And mine.”

 

“Are you done?” Hongbin asked.

 

“Yeah,” Yoongi responded.

 

“Fine, then I activate the spell card Dimensional Fissure. This means that any card sent to the graveyard is instead banished, rendering your trap useless.”

 

Yoongi groaned, throwing his cards face down on the floor. “I give up. This game sucks.”

 

“Hey,” Hongbin said, leaning over the cards on the middle of the floor to slap Yoongi’s head. “I’m not done with my turn. Are you just giving up because I’m winning?”

 

Yoongi just groaned again. “How did this happen? You’re never beaten me before.”

 

“And I still haven’t. The game isn’t over until it’s over. Now let me finish my turn,” Hongbin glared. Yoongi sighed before picking up his hand again. “I now tribute Granmarg the Rock Monarch to summon Granmarg the Mega Monarch. His effect means I get to destroy two cards on the field, and I choose your two facedown cards. Then, I attack your Volcanic Slicer directly, which means you are now out of life points.” Hongbin said. “Now I win.”

 

“Why did you even use Dimensional Fissure if you were going to win this turn? There was no point. And you could have used Granmarg’s special effect to destroy it anyway,” Yoongi complained, as he started to clean up the cards.

 

“I just wanted to make sure you really feel your defeat,” Hongbin said, leaning over the cards to kiss Yoongi’s pouting lips.

 

“Let’s never do this again,” Yoongi declared, leaning his back against the wall. “I think Duel Monsters is supposed to stay in our past.”

 

“Aw,” Hongbin said. “But I just got used to winning.”

 

“And it will never happen again, because we are never playing again.”

 

“That’s okay, I’ll just play with Taehyung. He’s been talking about it recently. Something about reliving his youth now that he’s so old,” Hongbin shot back, smirking when Yoongi groaned, banging the back of his head against the wall.

 

“No, please don’t do that. He’ll start bothering me about it too,” Yoongi said. “I’ll just play with you, as long as you put up with my complaining the entire time.”

 

“Well,” Hongbin said, pushing his feet out so they rested in Yoongi’s lap, “I do that every day anyway, so that’s not a problem.”

 

Yoongi ran a finger down the arch of Hongbin’s foot, making him kick out in surprise, coming close to Yoongi’s crotch. Yoongi slapped his shin and Hongbin just grinned, not sorry.

 

“You know, I never imagined that this would be my life when I met you,” Yoongi said, causing Hongbin to drop his smile into something a little softer, his eyes warm. “I never imagined that our friendship would last. We became very different people, but somehow, even through very different paths, we ended up in the same place, together.”

 

“Why are you all sappy?” Hongbin asked, but his voice was soft.

 

“Who knows,” Yoongi said, shrugging. “Somehow I came to love you, even if you’ve always been a brat.”

 

“Well, love works in strange ways,” Hongbin said. “But loving me isn’t surprising. Everyone loves me. Now, me loving you…”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yoongi asked, pinching at Hongbin’s feet.

 

“Just, you know. I somehow came to… love you and… yeah,” Hongbin trailed off awkwardly.

 

“Good,” Yoongi said. He gripped Hongbin’s ankle in his hand before letting go. “Now let’s move on from this conversation. How’s preparation for your concert coming?” Hongbin rolled his eyes at the change, but humored Yoongi anyway, telling him about his day.

 

\--

 

For some reason, Hongbin’s parents decided that they needed to take a day trip to Daegu. Hongbin hated long car rides and sulked the entire time, mad that he had to go along with them and his sisters. His sisters were close to each other, but being so much older than him, he felt like he didn’t fit in with his family.

 

Hongbin was tired and cranky, playing up his emotions even more so that his parents would know how displeased he was with this mini-vacation.

 

“Fine, Hongbin,” his mom finally said. “Would you promise to stop complaining for the rest of the day if we get you a new toy? There’s a shop right there and you can pick out something you like.”

 

Hongbin thought about it, weighing the pros and cons of the situation, before finally agreeing. His mom grabbed his hand and dragged him into the store.

 

“I’ll be standing near the registers here. Find a toy and come back quickly, okay?” she asked. Hongbin promised then raced off, trying to find something he would like.

 

He wandered from aisle to aisle, looking for anything new and exciting, but everything looked the same as it did in Seoul. After five aisles of disappointment, he walked down another aisle and saw a boy around his age standing alone, contemplating a shelf carefully.

 

“What are you looking at?” Hongbin asked curiously. The boy pointed to a set of legos with a picture of a ship on the box. But it wasn’t the box that caught Hongbin’s eye, it was what was next to it.

 

“Wait, no, you really don’t want that,” Hongbin said, pushing the boy’s arm down. “Legos are boring. Have you ever heard of Yugioh?”

 

The boy shook his head before letting out a quiet “no.”

 

“Do you not watch TV or have friends? Everyone knows Yugioh.” The boy opened his mouth to say something, but Hongbin put a hand over his mouth, giving him a stern look. “Please don’t make excuses. I’m about to save your life.”

 

Hongbin jumped up, trying to grab the pack of cards that were next to the legos. It took him two tries, but he finally managed it, the cards falling to the floor. He quickly bent down to pick them up before handing them to the other kid.

 

“These are Duel Monsters cards. It’s a super fun game and you can play with all your friends. I just started a month ago, but I’m getting really good. I even beat stupid Bumsoo the other day. This game is huge right now. If you don’t play, you’ll never have any friends.”

 

The other boy nodded slowly, looking at Hongbin with wide eyes. Hongbin just patted him on the head before grabbing the box of legos he was looking at. As he was walking away, he shouted back to the boy who was still standing, just staring at Hongbin.

 

“When you get good, come find me! Let’s play together someday!”

 

And they did.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? I had a blast writing this. Yoongi and Hongbin are such a fun couple. Please comment here, or if you would like to chat, find me on tumblr at leothevixxn or tuberc-leo-fics.


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